That ’90s Show only has a few That ’70s Show characters left in season 2, but one of the spinoff show’s recent cameos could hint that it is losing another. The Netflix series has done a fantastic job passing the mantle to a new teenage cast, easing audiences into the 1990s-themed setting with various returning That ’70s Show cameos. However, going into That ’90s Show season 2, part 2, there are far fewer original characters in the spotlight. It will be sad to potentially see even more depart from the series, but That ’90s Show is setting up the perfect replacements.
That ’90s Show season 2 is releasing on Netflix in parts, the first of which has been dubbed part 2 (with season 1 standing as part 1). It was eight episodes of teenage mischief at the Forman residence, with a cliffhanger seeing ’90s stars Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes drive a car through the Forman kitchen. This shocking ending also came with the reveal that Smith’s character, Sonny, is the son of Tommy Chong’s That ’70s Show character Leo. It was several layers of hilariousness, perfectly setting up a unique story for That ’90s Show part 3—but it could be bittersweet.
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Kevin Smith’s Character Could Be Replacing Tommy Chong’s Leo In That ’90s Show
Leo’s “Retirement” May Have A Double Meaning For Tommy Chong
Before Smith’s Sonny made his car-crash appearance in That ’90s Show season 2, episode 8, “Friends in Low Places,” Leo told the gang that he was celebrating his retirement and that his son was coming to town to take over for him. While he was talking about his in-world character, there may be a double meaning here. Leo’s retirement might mean that Chong himself is leaving That ’90s Show and that Smith is coming in to replace his character.
Of course, we won’t know this for sure until the second half of That ’90s Show season 2 releases on Netflix on October 24, 2024. In the coming episodes, Leia and the gang will deal with the car parked in the middle of the kitchen, which means more time will be spent with Leo and his son. By the end of part 3, it should become clear whether Leo (and Chong, by extension) is leaving Point Place for good and whether Smith will become a new recurring character rather than just a cameo. If so, this will mean saying goodbye to yet another original That ’70s Show character.
Leo Leaving That ’90s Show Would Be Sad (But Netflix Chose The Perfect Replacement)
Kevin Smith Is Basically The Tommy Chong Of The 1990s
Chong’s Leo was among the beloved staples of That ’70s Show, which is why his return to That ’90s Show was so valuable. However, the spinoff series has been working on slowly passing the baton over to the new cast and, therefore, depending less on the stars and features of the original show. As an icon of the 1970s, Chong made perfect sense among the cast of That ’70s Show. However, his role as Point Place’s resident stoner might make more sense being passed on to Smith and Mewes in That ’90s Show.
Smith and Mewes played stoner-duo Jay and Silent Bob throughout the ’90s, characters that were akin to Cheech and Chong from the ’70s. If Netflix was looking for actors to take over the type of role Chong played in That ’70s Show, they chose the perfect ones for the job. Smith will bring all the 1990s nostalgia to the series while reminding audiences of the Leo they knew and loved from That ’70s Show. If That ’90s Show is easing Leo out while easing Sonny in, this could be a seamless, while bittersweet, transition.
That 90s Show
That ’70s Show returns set two decades later with That ’90s Show, acting as a sequel but bringing back old cast favorites. Led by Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) Forman, the new cast arrives as the next generation, with the daughter of Eric and Donna, Leia Forman, leading the charge. Spending the summer with her grandparents, Leia makes new friends and forges new bonds in Point Place, Wisconsin. That ’70s Show series regulars make cameos in the show to maintain that sense of familiarity, and the show adopts the conventions of the ’90s as expected. That ’90s Show first aired on Netflix with a total of ten episodes.
